3/5 : Tuesday Goodie Bag

This week’s Tuesday Goodie Bag features

👉 Hope Street

👉 Café Parisien

And our product of the week: 

👉 Crawford’s Rock Seaweed Company


Hope Street

Tucked away in a quiet side street, yet only a few minutes stroll to Belfast’s city centre hotspots, Hope Street Restaurant is an ideal venue for a competitively priced pre-theatre meal.

The Pre-Theatre Menu runs  from 5.00pm -7.00pm daily, and is great value at ÂŁ22.95 for two courses or ÂŁ26.95 for three. 

To start we had the Thai Chilli Beef with Napa Slaw, Coriander, & a Chilli Dip, the Goat’s Cheese Fritters with Red Onion Jam & Walnut and Apple Salad, and the Crispy Fishcakes with Minted Peas & Black Pepper Mayo.

Mains included a Thai Green Curry, which can be either vegan or chicken, with Steamed Basmati Rice, the Crispy Battered Haddock with Chunky Chips, Mushy Peas & Tartar Sauce, and the Chicken Valdostana topped with Chorizo & melted cheese served with baby potatoes and a tomato & herb sauce. 

Offering fresh, high quality Northern Irish ingredients, the focus is firmly on great seasonal produce, and the friendly, efficient service and BYOB policy make Hope Street well worth a visit.


Café Parisien

With stunning views of the City Hall, and its chic yet comfortable cosmopolitan ambience, Parisien is the perfect place for gathering with friends and family for a leisurely lunch or memorable evening meal. 

We were invited to sample Parisien’s new French-inspired menu with a modern twist, and we were very impressed with the variety of starters, mains, desserts, and sides on offer. The dishes use classically traditional French cooking techniques, and each plate we chose transported us, culinarily speaking, to an authentic Brasserie in France

We began with a couple of delicious cocktails: a gin-based Clover Club, and a non-alcoholic Berry Blast. 

To start, the Salt Cod Croquettes were served with a refreshing tomato & green bean salad and a fragrant saffron aioli, and the Celeriac & Truffle Risotto was perfectly al dente, creamy, and liberally sprinkled with Parmesan. 

To follow, the Cod Fillet on a mussel & white bean cassoulet with confit fennel and samphire was beautifully moist and flaky, and the Roast Chicken Supreme served with Jerusalem artichokes, crushed potatoes, and a scattering of tangy pickled hazelnuts, was coated in a rich cep velouté.

And although we were utterly replete, what French meal would be complete without a Crème Brûlée, and Parisien’s traditional dessert is topped with a sharp raspberry sorbet perfectly complementing the creamy confection hidden beneath a crisp, sugary shell- sublime!

IMG 9690

All finished off with an Espresso Martini, this was an excellent way to spend a leisurely lunchtime right in the heart of Belfast.

https://www.cafeparisienbelfast.com/our-menu-2.html


Crawford’s Rock Seaweed Company

Crawford’s Rock is a small batch, hand-gathered, artisan seaweed company harnessing the traditions of our ancestors who foraged the shore for shoulk (nori) which was washed, boiled, seasoned and served on soda farls or wheaten bannock. 

Today, Crawford’s Rock Seaweed Company is reliving these traditions in a modern and inventive way with its seaweed seasonings, salts and health products; the Whiskey Smoked Seaweed Seasoning with Rosemary & Garlic is just one of the products which has won gold at the Blas na hEireann awards. 

We spent an idyllic afternoon foraging for a variety of seaweeds, and enjoying an incredible feast on the beach including freshly caught oysters, crab toes, langoustines, mussels, haddock, chowder, and steak served with a wonderful selection of salads, breads and vegetables, all accompanied with some fantastic Crawford’s Rock oils and seasonings. We also tasted some samples from Plenitude Fermented Food, and finished our meal with toasted marshmallows, apple tart, and Crawford’s Rock Award Winning Peppermint Kombu Tea. 

Then back to the sea to gather Kelp for a seaweed bath, and a few brave souls even stripped off for a cold water swim (a paddle was bracing enough for us city boys!). So “Sea’s The Day”, and book this wonderful afternoon of foraging, fun, and feasting just outside Kilkeel.

https://www.crawfordsrockseaweed.co.uk/forage-with-us